Respirator



July 22, 1924.

W. H. WOOD HESPIRATOR Filed March 1,

jz/e zzz d f %6' g M716 Patented July 22, 1924.

PATENT WILLIAM H. Wool), or soU'rI-I; EUCLID, OHIO.

RESPIRATOB.

Application filed March 1, 1920.' Serial No. 362,195.

To all whom it may-concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM H. 'Woon, a citizen of the United States,residing at South Euclid, in the county of Cuyahoga and Stateof Ohio,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Respirators, ofwhicht'he following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing-hadto the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to" respirators, such as are-employed forthepurpose of preventing the inhalationof dust and other particles insuspension by operators in various industries. It is the general objectof the invention to provide arespirator of this character which is moreeflicient in operation than those in general use. Further and morelimited advantages of the invention are to provide a respirator which issimple and economical of production; which can be worn withoutdiscomfort; which will be capable of long-continued use; which may beconveniently assembled; which can be readily'adjusted to accommodatevariation in facial contours; and which will permit the easy removal andrenewal of the straining or collecting element.

I accomplish these objects in and through the construction andarrangement of parts illustrated in the drawings forming part hereof,wherein Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of an embodiment of myrespirator showing its manner of use; FigJQa similar view of theseparated component parts of the respirator; and Figs. 3 andt verticalsectlonal views through the respirator.

The respirator shown herein comprises three parts, namely: a combinedcarrying and clamping member; a cooperating clamping member; and astraining or sedimen-t-removing member or element adapted to-beinterposed between and clampedby thefirst two members against the faceothe wearer;

Describing the parts by reference characters, 1v denotes the combinedcarrying and clamping member. This-member is an open frame which may bemade of any suitable rigid material andis so shaped as to engage andconform more or less closely at its base-portion to the bridge of thenose as well as to the cheeks and chin of the wearer, being providedwith a central arch 2 in the interior of one end thereof for applicationto the bridge of the nose.

The opening 3 within the frame of the member 1 is large, in order toprovide ample tob'e explained hereinafter.

Cooperating, with the member 1 is the clamping member 6, which isofthesame general contour as the member 1, the inner surface of saidmember being extended and preferably beveled, as shown at 6*, wherebythe application of the member 6 to the member 1 will result inclampingthe strainer element 7 therebetween and enable the memberstobeadjusted relatively to each other to force, the strainer elementagainst the bridges of the noses and the cheeks and chins ofv variousfaces. The member 6 is shown as provided with. a pair of loops 8buttoned onthe heads 9 of studs secured to opposite sides thereof.

Each loop 8 extends through a loop'lO in an elastic strap 11, one ofwhich is provided with a hook 12 and the other with a a ring 13 the ringbeing adiustably conn'ected with-its strap by means of a loop 14- insaid strap and a buckle 15. This con structio renables the respirator tobe easily applied and to be secured firmly in place; to be adjusted toaccommodate wideavariations in contours of faces and of heads; and, inall cases, to press or force the edgesof the strainer (which ispreferably of yielding porousmaterial, such as gauze or light toweling)into dust-excluding contact with the face, the inner edges of themembers1 and 6 serving as the pressing or forcing means and. the memberlconforming so closely tothe faces of various prospective wearers as tosecure this result.

In Figs. 3 and l there is shown the manner inwhich the beveling of theouter surface ofthe" member 1 andthe inner, surface ofthemember- 6enables my device to conformto wide variations inthe bridges ofthe nosesof the prospective wearersa'nd still preserve a dust-excludingcontactbetween the strainer member and the face. In Fig. 3, the deviceis shown as applied to a face having a nose with a prominent bridge. InFig. 4, it is shown as applied to the face of a wearer having a nosewith a depressed bridge. In each case, the inner edge of the strainermember, by adjustment of the members 1 and 6, is pressed into closecontact with the nose, chin and cheeks of the wearer, and all three ofthe members are retained in such adjusted relation by means of thestraps 11. This pressing of the strainer member in contact with the faceis rendered possible by the cooperation between the surfaces 5 and 6whereby the inner edge of one of said members is substantially flushwith the inner edge of the other, the extent of their surfaces and theirinclination giving a direction to the strainer member which will forceit into contact with the face, even thoughtlie inner edges of themembers 1 and 6 may not be actually flush.

The members 1 and 6 may be made of any light material such as aluminumor wood, and the complete device may be worn with out the discomfortwhich is a necessary incident to the use of the ordinary, heavyrespirator. a

, When it is desired to replace the strainer element, it is necessaryonly to move the member 6 away from the member 1, which will permit thestrainer element to be removed from the latter member and to besterilized and reused. The construction of the members 1 and 6 insures amaximum breathing surface, which adds materially to the comfort of thewearer. A further advantage of the invention resides in the fact thattherespirator may be used indefinitely, requiring only the renewal of thestrainer element from time to time; and, as pointed out, this elementmay be sterilized and re-used indefinitely.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim is:

1. A respirator comprising a rigid open base member shaped to conform tothe face of the wearer, an open clamping member, and a strainer memberof yielding material interposed between the first two members andprojecting inwardly beyond the inner edge of the base member, the basemember having an extended outer bearing surface, the said surface andthe inner surface of the clamping member being shaped to permit theclamping member to be adjusted to various positions upon the base memberand to cause the edge of the strainer member to engage the face of thewearer.

2. A respirator comprising an open base member shaped to conform to theface of a wearer; a strainer member of yielding ma terial overlying saidbase member and adapted to be clamped between said base member and aclamping member in position to extend inwardly to engage the face of awearer; and an open clamping member having that edge adjacent the faceof the wearer also shaped to conform to the face of the wearer, adaptedto clamp said strainer member between itself and said base member inposition to extend inwardly to engage the face of the wearer, andadjustable upon said base member to permit cooperation be tween saidclamping member and said base member to compensate for variations in theface of the wearer and thus cause said strainer member to closely engagethe face of the wearer despite said variations.

3. A respirator comprising an open base member shaped to conform to theface of a wearer; a strainer member of yielding material overlying saidbase member and adapted to be clamped between said base member and aclamping member in position to engage the face of a wearer; an openclamping member having that edge adjacent the face of the wearer alsoshaped to conform to the face of the wearer, adapted to clampsaidstrainer member between itself. and said base member in position toengage the face of the wearer, and adjustable upon said base member topermit cooperation between said clamping member and said base member tocompensate for variations in the face of the wearer and thus cause saidstrainer member to closely engage the face of the wearer despite saidvariations; and means for securing all of said the head of the wearer.

4. A respirator comprising an open base member shaped to conform to theface of a wearer; a strainer member of yielding ma terial overlying saidbase member and adapted to be clamped between said base member and aclamping member in position to extend inwardly to engage the face of awearer; an open clamping member having that edge adjacent the face ofthe wearer also shaped to conform to the face of the wearer, adapted toclamp said strainer member between itself and said base member inposition to extend inwardly to engage the face of the wearer, andadjustable upon said base member to permit cooperation between saidclampingmember and said base member to compensate for variations in theface of the wearer and thuscause said strainer member to closely engagethe face of the wearer despite said variations; and

members to means for securin all of said members to the head of thewearer.

signature.

WILLIAM H. WOOD.

